Auto Spies Puts You In Charge: If You Were The New Auto Czar, How Would You Address This Mess?

Explain to Obama and the rest of the non-technically educated politicians who mostly couldn't engineer a cardboard box that a CO2 regulation IS fuel economy and 35mpg is enough. Explain to Premiere Obama and Komrades Pelosi & Waxman that if they want better fuel economy, state by state, then each individual state should TAX GASOLINE, it works wonders in every other civilized country on the earth.

Also, stop this anti Big3 nonsense that is prevalent in political conversations. Its bullsh*t. Force every lawmaker and their staff to drive a domestic (just give them domestics to drive) and have them post their feedback. Its sickening how out of touch with the industrial reality our country is, and especially how out of touch our politicians are (and its their job to be on top of these things). Pass laws that forbid government money, federal on down to local from buying any foreign cars unless a good reason exists (like its a research thing, or Mercedes plant in your town & they donate cars, etc). I saw a police car on the news (I think it was aspen, CO) that was a Toyota Forerunner. What is the purpose of that? Why didn't they buy American, this is America after all. Please dont respond with your "its built in AMerica BS", the day Toyota packs up and leaves Japan for USA (engineering & all) is the day Toyota is American.

The day Toyota packs up and leaves Japan for USA (engineering & all) is the day Toyota will realize how bad the education level is in the states for regular people without college degrees.

It is because of people like you, neutral, that the country is failing - making excuses instead of fixing the problems like: Instead of whining about states regulating emissions improve your dame engineering and produce more efficient cars.
Also, quit paying 80K+ to people whose only job is to install door hinges all day long.

Sure, GM is making better cars now. But that is not the reason they're failing; it is because of the many years of careless and unreliable engineering that finally payed its toll. The same goes for the rest except Chrysler (RIP).

American Automakers: Stop whining and get back to work.

GTR35, I have news for you pal, I AM an engineer in advanced powertrain propulsion systems for an automaker, so eat it. Stop whining? What the hell is wrong with you. The entire automotive world is upset (japanese included) with these hoohaas in the govt. We HAVE to have lawsuits and lobbying to prevent these jackasses from putting us under with their whimsidaisical "I saw on TV someone had a car that ran on good ideas" bullshit. By the way, you show me the worker who makes $80K a year, Ive meet quite a few union workers and I have yet to see one that makes that kind of money. How dare you say its people like me who are creating the problems? I went to college and got my damn engineering degree and I, unlike most bullshitters on this site, spend everyday engineering solutions for the automotive world. What you and the other people who say what you are saying don't really have a clue about what you are talking about. You are talking about violating the rules of capitalism for the gain of............. stupidity. If California or any state wants to reduce CO2, by all means, they already can. Its called taxing gasoline....PERIOD. If they actually created a demand for small cars with high mileage, then we would produce them here in USA. Why is it that GM & Ford have high-mpg cars in Europe? Cmon rocket scientist... tell me why there arent very many Chevy Tahoes and F150's in Germany or England. Tell me, hurry up. Oh forget it, logic is lost..... GM is making "better" cars? How about Gm is making good or great cars. Give credit where its due. Im not going to stand here and say they've always had good prodcut, hell their stuff sucked for decades, but that was then and this is now.

Wow, thanks for clarifying my point. It's because of engineers like 'neutral' that our automakers are failing. Are you blogging instead of creating the next best thing for a US automaker? I bet you, you are getting paid right now. Now I'm pissed because if you are using our taxpayer money to blog then we should rethink about who gets a job engineering cars.

Who said I work for GM or Chrysler, jerk

By the way, id like to see you get close to the work I do. The complex science, mathematics and engineering I do in 1 day would make your entire life look like a joke. Me checking autospies for a few minutes a day would barely even register non-productivity. By the way, last I check your comment "we should rethink about who gets a job engineering cars." doesn't mean jack since you aren't in charge of any auto companies' hiring. Good luck next time pal, bringing up the whole "bailout, waaa waa waaa" is just your weak attempt at a logical argument. You assumed I worked for GM or Chrysler...what did your little brain forget about Toyota's facilities in the US? How about Honda? How about Nissan? MB? Oh yea... thats right.

GTR35, I've gone through and read neutrals statements and his logic is pretty spot on. He doesnt ever seem to badbouth any particular vehicle for their inherent technical qualifications, if you check his statements about the Big3 they're usually spot-on and most of his posts are technical in nature, especially with regards to diesel engines. Maybe you should think about which big diesel manufacturers are out there instead of just assuming he works for Chevy.

Oh by the way GTR35, yes it is midnight right now, and I'm still reviewing data and doing work... but I had some extra free time (in that dinner I skipped) to check... and I realized I never took a vacation or sick day in all of 2008 and I had over 650 UN PAID overtime hours... so quiet down about your precious tax dollars that were going to wall st anyways.

How about tossing in tax breaks on domestic purchases?

Give a tax credit for a new car purchase proportionate on the amount you spend starting at $1500. Make interest paid on a buy or lease tax deductible. Raise import taxes on any car produced outside the US. Finally implement Hyundai's brilliant insurance policy across the board. Lower the "super preferred" interest rate qualifying score down to 680 instead of 730.

Run a "Buy or Die" promotion.

Put out a memo about sheeps blood on the doors. And then knock on each door without blood, while sipping a hot latte, wearing a tie and pinstriped dress shirt, and ask the occupants if they got the memo.

Population control people.

Regarding the import tax we have to be careful so not to set off a trade war. However we should target all countries that regulate their currencies in trade with the USA(hello China are you there?).There should be a national gas tax. Further to encourage the use of economical cars all cars who's weight exceeds 4500 LBS should have a tax surcharge on them in additionan to the price.Further for anyone who buys a car that gets over 35 MPG should be elligble for a $1500 tax credit. This is on top of the newly congress proposed new car tax credit of $1500 and the ability to deduct car interest off taxes. Further how about a tax reduction for the Big 3 now.Perhaps the Czar should also persuade the government to create a bank for auto loans and leases if the troubled lending institution do not start making auto loans again.

As the new Auto Czar I would give rebates to individuals with old cars so they can better afford to buy new ones, a program otherwise known as "cash for clunkers.” I also would give a tax deduction for all individuals who purchased a new car.

If I was the Auto Czar the first thing I would do would be to tell Oboomy to butt out and play basketball while I work.

If I were car Czar I'd fire the top 20% at every domestic car company. Exec's, product planners, strategic planners, engineers, the whole lot of them. They (not the union hacks) are the ones who sat back and ignored reality for the past 10 years and got cash drunk selling cheap to design and build SUV's while ignoring the fact that gas prices would eventually rise. Where is GM's Prius? Where is Ford's Smart? Where is Chrysler's Civic? Somehow the Japanese were able to design and build smaller, more efficient, more reliable cars during this period. The waste of corporate resources by the Big 3 is staggering! Does Chevy really need three versions of the Corvette? Do we really need a 2010 Camaro with 300hp in the base version? If GM had put the Corvette upgrade and Camaro money (and time) into the Volt, they'd be done by now and making money like they've never seen instead of begging for a handout.

How would they be making money on a car that is not in demand and is very expensive (yet still is cheaper than the cost of manufacture). Why would you want to cut the top 20%? That doesn't make too much sense, especially in light of recent vehicles that have been launched and the fact that Big3 vehicles went from pieces of trash in the 70s-90s, to very competitive. I've always been an import guy but I gotta give credit where it is due. As for the Prius, it has been a giant loss maker for Toyota until this past summer when prices were high. Right now, I would probably bet it is a big loss maker since the average transaction price is about $5000 lower than it was in the summer. Toyota banks on sales of its bigger vehicles to make a profit, just like the American automakers. Toyota just has a better image in terms of environmentalism.

Is there such a thing as a 'Czar' in a non-communistic society?

Freudian slip by the Obama team?

001

GreenPlease, Thank you for posting, as much as NO ONE would believe it, I actually am a huge environmentalist, just a pragmatic & logical one. CO2 emissions are a very challenging debate, unlike the nasty stuff like NOx, PM, MHC's, etc. I personally don't care too much about GHG from autos, the GHG from industry, electricity & agriculture (cow methane) is much more potent than the CO2 from cars. As for your theory of how many cars should be sold/bought, you need to realize that this is America and America is built around the automobile and there are 300 million people in our nation, and our nation is vast. Also, no one has the right to drive, yes it is a privlege however if someone can afford the car, the maintenance, the insurance and the fuel, then being that this is still capitalism, then they should be able to buy whatever they want. Most likely, my next buy will be a Fusion hybrid or a Cruze (I love turbo DI's). Your complex system of carbon taxes is (not to be offensive) absolutley absurd. Look at europe, Japan, and USA this past summer. High gas prices mean high mileage cars...period. We can leverage the concerns of all parties with a REASONABLE gas tax (1 or 2 dollars a gallon, over a period of time). People will DEMAND (see capitalism) more efficient vehicles, automakers will happily SUPPLY (see capitalism), foreign oil will be reduced, CO2 will be reduced, and hundreds of billions generated for Road, hwys, bridges, rail, Solar, wind, bio-crude, algae, hydrogen, etc. I don't like taxes but a tax on gasoline (not diesel, its already too expensive and it will make all goods more expensive) will promote everyone's desires. You could even offer tax breaks to those in the lower earning brackets to lessen the effects of a gas tax since we would be raking in 100-200 billion a year more in revenues. Taxing based on vehicle is ridiculous, what about people like me who have a small 4-cyl everyday car and a V8 powered sports car for leisure driving in the summer? What about the farmers/contractors who need trucks that are more than 4000lbs? What about people who have a truck just for certain occasions like towing a boat or hauling gravel a few times a year? It's un-american to say "you can't have something even though you can afford it and its not immediately harmful to anyone" (like smog or particulate matter). Like Ive said a million times, Tax Gas!

The problem is people aren't buying cars. We want them to buy, but we also want fuel efficiency. So, as CZAR, I would implement a tax credit of 10% of the purchase price on any new U.S. assembled car with 25MPG HWY or higher fuel efficiency, up to $5,000 per car. This should get people talking and generate some traffic in the showrooms.

Varying the C02 standard from state to state would be prohibively expensive for "Any"auto maker to achieve. I would simply take the most stringent state(I assume California)and apply it nationwide. I would out law any personal vehicle that weighs over 5000 LBS.(Bently and Rolls better go on a diet.No more Ford F450's,Expeditions etc.In fact I would limit any personal vehicles weight to 4,500 Lbs.All personal trucks should be limited to a maximum size of 3/4 Ton.All SUV's to a limit of 200 inches long with the same weight restrictions as trucks.Limit all passenger car horsepower to 500HP. The HP competition is out of control.Performance can only improve by lightening the weight in cars at 500HP and below.I might require larger diameter brake sizes on all existing passenger vehicles.I would also have a miles per gallon acceptable minimum on all passenger vehicles of 18 MPG City and 25 MPG highway.The net result of this would be that makers of ultra high performance exotic cars(which 95% of the population cannot afford to buy anyway) would have to dramatically reduce weight,reduce power,and improve aerodynamics or else not allowed to be sold in this country.I know this would be a hard pill to swallow. However cars today have gotten too heavy and too powerful for anyones good other then a race car driver.There are plenty of cars out there that are fun to drive that don't pull 1G on acceleration.Cars like those featured on the latest issue of Car and Driver need to come out with a green alternative. A Lamborghini Murcealago weighs in at 4100 LBS. That is totally ridiculous.A Mercedes CL65 is absurd,as is a Viper.(remember when Vipers had 400 HP. Instead of upping the power Chrysler should have focused on weight reductionc and gave it a better drag coefficient.Porsche is the only super car that makes a concerted effort to improve mileage and emmisions in today's market(Ok maybe Lotus as well).Why does a Dodge Challenger weigh 4100 LBS,A Chevy V6 Camaro weigh 3900 LBS Yet a Mustang GT weighs 3500 LBS with a V8?I don't buy this crap that extra weight is all about safety equipment.

mini22, you keep talking about cars that barely represent a fraction of all cars sold on the road. Lambos? Vipers? SL65AMG? What ever happened to individualism? What if I want a big truck to pull horse trailers? What if I want to have a sports car b/c I work hard and I make money and I am successful? Once again, a reasonable gas tax will eliminate all the complicated tax & regulations mess that many are calling for.

I found that interesting about the Challenger. The Nissan GTR has nearly or the most gadgetry of any vehicle in the world yet it weighs under 2 tonnes. Does Dodge use a shortened truck chassis?

Veyron,

The Challenger uses the Chrysler LX chassis (which is similar but not the same as the old Mercedes E class platform. The LX chassis is a LARGE sedan chassis. The Challenger is simply a 2 door version of it. Larger vehicles are heavier vehicles, heavier vehicles need more power to achieve performance. Chrysler designed that chassis to stand up to serious power (500+) while still being safe and affordable. The GT-R is a car with compact interior dimensions and a larger price point. The larger price point allows for more expensive but lighter materials, it also allows for fancy electronic stuff to help control the mass of the vehicle as it is moving.

Lets put it this way you can have 2 out of the following in a car: powerful, light, cheap. The LX cars are powerful and cheap but not light. The GT-R is powerful and light but not cheap. The Mazda MX5 is light and cheap but not powerful. Think about it.

Neutral, nice to have you here, somebody with a brain who posts intelligent arguments. How noce.

Greenplease, your arguments are valid but to you and others here, I'll ask a question: what is the annual CO2 emission from personal tramsportation of an industrial country? Say like Germany, and in percentage of the total CO2 emission of this Country?

I'll let you do some research and get back to me...

why isn't any one saying kudos to the 5 car companies that are succeeding. Smart Hyundai Subaru Jaguar and Kia. There is a way to succeed even in these conditions. I am biased about Jaguar but I will say that all of you who have bashed Jaguar for years have not taken notice of the complete turn around that this small manufacturer has made to actually sell more cars even in these market conditions. Can I get a hell yeah?

Jag went from boring nothing to gorgeous "gotta have it" almost overnight. Since Jag's numbers were so low, it is not inconceivable that they made gains, albeit for good reasons (people wanted their cars). Hyundai made a smart business move in offering a return policy (that the big3 need to copy, the Japanese are fine without it). I think everyone recognizes Jag has really turned itself into what it always should have been and I wish economic times were 1000x better and Ford kept Jag... then they would have a real ultra-lux brand in their pockets (Volvo & Lincoln are extremely nice, but they dont have the pizazz of new jaguars).

Now, if I was the Czar, here is what I would do 1st and foremost; 1- Ford and Mercury stay, the rest is canned.
2- GM: Chevrolet and Cadillac stay, the rest is toasted 3- Chrysler: Jeep and Dodge stay.
It is a necessity to reduce line up and inventories and stop having "in house brands" cannibalize each other.
Apply the Japanese model, one general brand with fuel efficient, fun, inexpensive vehicles and one luxury derivative. To "remake" those brands keep the best of each brand you have now and condense it to 2 brands.
An example; the fine Pontiac G8 would make a very fine Chevy Impala.
Each line up should have a microcar, a subcompact, a compact, a midsize and for luxury brands a full size.
Crossover SUV's are fine. No need for Minivans and ONE large SUV with towing capacity for "those big families" is fine too. But with a modern clean diesel and/or hybrid. No more 6.1L gas engines, please.

2nd: get those clonkers of the road, that's where the tax credit should go. Anything past 20 years old that is not an "exotic" or a collectible or something similar goes straight to the junkyard. I can't believe I am still seeing old rust buckets from the 70's on the road today. Of course it is probably an illegal immigrant with no license and no insurance at the wheel, but it is another issue.

3rd: 35mpg is fine for now, stop pushing crazy legislations that are hurting our manufacturers.

4th: kill the ethanol project, IT IS creating more CO2 in the front hand. Stop it and stop it NOW.

5th: I want to see from every car manufacturer in the World that is importing cars to the US what is their plan to recycle the batteries coming out from hybrids vehicles sold on our soil. No sustainable long term plan, no selling, period.

6th: like in Europe (2014 standard), every car has to be at east 85% recyclable and 95% reusable. Which every Audi sold here is btw.

7th: I will give grants to any University that shows me a project on warm hydrogen combustion.

8th: I'll make a deal with the big 3(or2), close all your plants abroad and bring production of parts and vehicles back to the US and I'll give you a tax break. Made In America = jobs in america, maybe less pay for the "Onions" but more jobs for the "Onions".

After those are done, it will be time to thing about Gas tax and what to do about rules and regulations for Imports...

1evlaudi, Thank you for your compliment. It is hard to find individuals on this site who actually think logically for both the near term and long term. I do however, respectfully disagree with some of your ideas, especially ideas 1, 2, & 3. Any instantaneous change would cause disaster, and Ford & Chrysler have a good mix. GM could possibly do without some brands (GMC & Pontiac aren't all too necessary). Aside from that, you are COMPLETELY right about the 35mpg being enough, along with the gas tax. Appropriately priced fuel will be enough to get us thinking about economy. I highly disagree with you on the disappearance of big displacement engines (if you can pay $3 a gallon when oil is $40 a barrel, then by all means have fun --- not this cheapo). The Chevy Smallblock is proof that big engines don't necessarily mean poor economy (see corvette, not the EPA BS but actual owners). Also, I disagree with you on the ethanol issue. I don't necessarily want massive ethanol use, however for security purposes, having a nation of cars that can be fueled with ethanol (especially once cellulosic ethanol comes online) with only add to our national security and will help level the playing field amongst automakers, just like seatbelts, airbags, ABS, crash-safety, etc. I also like your point about keeps US sold cars built in the US (however I do consider Canada to essentially be part of the US from an auto standpoint so I wouldn't exclude our northern neighbors-- they might cut off the supply of labatts & hockey equipment). Great hearing someone's opinion who is rational and reasonable, even if we differ. Please keep posting on the site.

Read to "think".. sorry.

america is doing so badly

`Neutral.
well, it's funny because I agree with you on the "big displacement" engines. What I meant by that was that if we produce less, sell less and drive less big engines, it will create a lower demand for gas at the pump. A lower demand means lower price or at least more stable price at the pump. I am not completely against those engines, especially if equipped with direct injection and cylinders management.
I really think however that for now Ethanol is a bad thing. Now Bio-diesel, synthetic fuel (gas)(Audi just run tests on a A4 on syn-gas and it went really well) are probably much better long term solutions.

It is actually a pleasure to have an educated exchange, isn't it?

OH the pleasure is all mine. And I am with you 100% on the synthetic fuels, however I stilll would like to see an E85 standard passed. It eliminates variability amongst automakers and if for no other reason, its for defense purposes (if OPEC cuts us off one day, we're screwed). But then again, if we had significant synthetic production capabilities, this E85 would be rendered obsolete....only thing is we have E85 here & now and syn fuels are a ways off. Oh well, I think they are going to make it a standard anyways which is also good b/c E85 fuel systems are stronger and resistant to corrosion (over non-E85 parts). As for big displacement engines.... they are already diminishing, mostly b/c the average person realizes that a Cadillac STS V6 with DI gets 300+hp, so even if a new Northstar comes out with DI, dual VVT, etc etc etc, it will most likely have 400-450hp (N.A.), but the average joe will say "300hp is enough". I wish GM continued with its UV8 program, damn economy. Damn CAFE

So, since nobody answered my question about CO2 emissions, here it is. In a industrial country like Germany, the CO2 emissions created by personal transportation represent ONLY 13% of the total CO2 emissions of that Country. Yes, you read that right, 13%. The car is not the problem really. Trucks, railways, ships, factories, power plants, agriculture, farming, the trees (yes, the decomposition of leaves on the ground creates CO2). You name it, pretty much everything creates CO2. So let's be realistic too here. While it is great to care and being sensible, driving a Hybrid does not really do nothing as you are only trying to affect a small percentage of the total production. That's why I laugh at every Prius owner, because this is more about their egos than anything else.

Nuetral-The problem with Big trucks and big SUV's is that people are using them for personal use.If you are going to use them for commercial purposes then there needs to be a law put in place to address this.If it determined that people are using large vehicles for personal use then they need to pay huge penalties. Bottom line people have to take responsibility for their actions regarding the use of fuel. If they will not then the government(either state or federal)need to step in and force the issue.(Much like requiring the use of seat belts).Persoanl freedom is a persons right provided it does not impact the lives of others in a negative way.

Why, why should people be forced to drive little cars they don't want? Just b/c you or I don't like it, tough. This is America, if someone can afford something that isn't inherantly dangerous or polluting (CO2 is a natural gas), then why shouldn't they have it? The government forcing the issue? My Gosh litsten to what you are proposing, where are we living?!?! Yea so a bunch of democrat car-haters are running the show now, how much longer do you think they'll be running the show with ridiculous mandates such as the ones you are proposing? Once again, a reasonable gas tax solves all. What if people get their fuel from renewable resources and/or carbon neutral fuels (like algae based fuels)? Not trying to be a jerk to you (seems like I am trying to be, I assure Im not) but what you are proposing has me seriously scared. Me--an eco-centric person. Govt needs not decide what people drive, the automobile is a tenant of American life, like baseball and guns. Theyre just things you dont mess with in a major way (unlike little incrimental things like seatbelts, airbags, etc).

Nuetral-First of all I'm not saying the government should make people drive small little vehicles. There are a lot of vehicles that get better gas mileage then those I previously mentioned that are not small. Rather they are not 222 inches or more long and do not weigh over 4500 LBS.In fact I would venture to say 95 percent of the vehicles on the road in the US do not fall into this catagory.I just feel that the US needs to start reducing it's dependence on foreign oil.Further I don't think anyone that drives a small economical car,a hybrid,or a diesel passenger car(not a truck or suv)should pay any tax on gas.So if an American citizen can no longer buy those types of vehicles that don't fit my mileage parameters so be it.It's kind of like smoking. It's become more and more restrictive because it can affect other people.So an individual that buys a gas guzzeling car is in affect sabotaging our countries mission to become independent of foreign oil and therefore affecting everyone else in this country.Paying a gas tax will probably not stop people from buying gas guzzeling cars or trucks.The only way for that to happen is for auto makes to stop producing them. There are so many cars on the market that are fun to drive. People will just have to suck it up or move to Europe.How about thinking about what is better for the public good rather then just the individual. Same thing goes for guns. People should be allowed to carry them provided they are deemed not crazy,unstable,or violent.Further any guns of the machine gun variety(ie AK47's etc) have no business in the hands of private citizens. That is not a gun of sport.That is a gun of war. Since we are not at war in this country with each other then why do we need to own a gun for war.Look these are my opinions. I'm sure the Obama administration has theirs.

mini22, my friend, what you are advocating violates everything America stands for. As for the AK47's, why not? One of the leading groups against assualt rifles (Brady Bill folks) have stated that in the past 4 years, 143 people have been killed from assault rifles (36 people/yr). Now, considering that nearly 500,000 people die/yr from smoking, tens of thousands from traffic deaths, assault rifles look to be pretty harmless. Besides, the entire idea with the 2nd ammendment is to protect the citizenry AGAINST its government. You try fighting the government with a pocket pistol......
While we do need to reduce our dependence of foreign oil, a gas tax works best. Like you mentioned above, very few people have these exotic cars, etc, so why are we worried about the guy with the Ferarri? America IS all about individualism (at least it is supposed to be). What you are proposing is just another massive complicated set of taxes that just pisses people off. If I want a truck, knowing full well that it gets 22mpg hwy (impressive when you think about it), then why shouldn't I have one if I can afford it? Where I live we get tons of snow and theres lots of treacherous roads, why shouldn't I be allowed to determine for myself what best suits my needs? Forcing automakers to build certain things just because some whackjobs whine about "pollution" is horsecrap, they can go to europe or japan. Ponder this, since we have a gang problem in urban cities, would it be OK for the govt to outlaw all red, blue, purple & yellow clothing (bloods, crips, latin kings)? Yes, you say it is ridiculous, but it is in essence the same thing as forcing automakers to build cars that some ignorant politicians wants. I have an idea, if they limit what cars we can build, then Michigan can set the standards about other water related things..... how about no pools in California since they have water problems? Would that be OK with all the environmentalists and hollywood jackasses who constantly berate detroit? If these people really were serious about "the environment", theyd realize that automobiles contribute relatively little to GHG and almost no REAL pollution (NOx, PM, etc). Theyd realize that their pools and luxury homes are a massive detriment to the environment. Instead, they just want to have a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that they are destroying the technological and industrial heart of our nation.

Nuetral-Where in my last comments was I talking about taxes.You are the one who is suggesting a gas tax. Being the lefty Liberal that I am I'm not in favor of taxes on poor people who struggle from pay check to pay check. So how about this. You go to the gas pump.However all pumps now have a device on them that makes you type in your drivers license before the pump will dipense the gas.Since your drivers license is now keyed into a national computer it will be able to decipher the yr,make,and model of the vehicle you own.Therefore if anyone owns a vehicle over 4500 LBS the pump is keyed to add an additional 50 cents a gallon in tax.And this of course works because when you bought your car new or used and registered it with DMV all DMV's are now keyed into the national computer which is keyed into every single gas pump in the US.The software is automatically set up to determine if you get taxed on gas or not.So there you have. Diabolical isn't it?

Hahaha, mini22, the "unfairly burden the poor" argument. I use it all the time against liberal environmentalists who support smog testing. It always works against them, but not this guy. Here's an idea, tax gas and at the end of the year, have a tax break on poor people's income taxes. Boom...done. Talk about a way to save fuel and cut taxes....... no computer networks, no RFID, no massive government-stalking, big brother nonsense. Just a phased in, $1 a gallon tax. Make $75000, no rebates, work its way down to $1000 for the people in the lowest bracket (obviously the numbers would have to be worked on). In the end, maybe the govt breaks even (most likely it would make TONS of money) but people would be more conciense of what they drive. You don't want to pay lots of taxes & want a cheap car, get a Cobalt XFE. Wanna un-burden the poor, no CO2 limits, no more smog testing for civilians. It comes from the factory ready to go, so what if 1gram/bhp-hr is emitted after 8 yrs. Big deal.

Woops-I just realized my mistake. Counting on people to tell the truth regarding their license presents a flaw. No this has to be done by either a camera or a magnetic bar or somthing that is embedded into the ground by the pump.Every vehicle that is sold has a special bar on the bottom of their vehcile that can only be picked up by the magnetic bar on the ground.That bar on the car has a code on it.So when you drive over the bar it can automatically determine what your vehicle weighs by picking up the bar code from your vehicle.Further the technology is such that if the bar is every doctored with or removed that would automatically set off a signal to the police. The driver of the vehicle would have to pay a fine and go to a special office to have the correct bar put back on the bottom of the vehicle at the owners expense.If the owner does not do this and the alarm is set off the vehicle would be confiscated and sold at action.Big Brother at work.